Electric terminal connector



Nov. 28, 1961 E. c. ARMENTROUT ELECTRIC TERMINAL CONNECTOR Filed Feb.24, 1961 IN VEN TOR. [VIE/7577' CI APME/VT/POUT 3,011,144 ELECTRICTERMINAL CONNECTOR Everett C. Armentrout, New Carlisle, Ohio, assignorto General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of DelawareFiled Feb. 24, 1961, Ser. No. 91,451 2 Claims. (Cl. 33995) Thisinvention relates to an electrically conductive connection between twosheet metal terminals of an electric circuit or the like. a

I am aware of the fact that there is in existence many differentelectric terminal connectors for use in electric wiring circuits toswitches, relays, etc. However, most of the prior connectors require anelement or elements in addition to the sheet metal terminals to make aconnection bet-ween the terminals which will mechanically lock themtogether as well as to secure the terminals in good electric currentconductive relationship with one another. The prior terminal connectorsare also rather expensive, difiicult to assemble and requireconsiderable time in assembling the terminals thereof together.Furthermore, prior connectors have been of'a relatively long characterand the terminals thereof project outwardly beyond a switch, relay orthe like housing a considerable or unnecessary distance. I thereforecontemplate the provision of means on sheet metal electric'currentconducting terminals which will permit connecting them together in alow-cost fashion and in a manner to substantially reduce the timerequired to make their connection both contributing to'simplify andspeed up completion of electric wiring systems inelectricalinstallations contained in household appliances and the like.

An object of my invention is toprovide an improved combined mechanicaland electric current conducting connection between two terminals whichis compact and short coupled.

Another object of my invention is to form complementary electricalterminals with means thereon which, when the terminals are brought intoassociation with one another andmanipulated in a certain manner, providea strong mechanical and effective current conductive interlocktherebetween to thereby eliminate the use of other or additionalelements in connecting the terminals.

A further object of my invention isto provide a connector for two sheetmetal electric terminals which, while being connected, creates a wedgingaction between portions or parts of the terminals to mechanically lockthem and which lock is not likely to be accidentally unlocked.

A still further and more specific object of my invention having a wireleading therefrom in a manner according to my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a substantially full-size plan view of the connectedterminals taken along the line 22 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a greatly enlarged view of the terminals shown in FIGURES 1and 2 separated from one another to better illustrate theirconstruction;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 illustrating the terminals on anenlarged scale connected to one another;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4 of acombined mechanical and electric current conducting connection at onepoint through the terminals; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional View taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 4illustrating association of the contacting portions of the terminalsprior to locking them together.

Referring to the drawings, for illustrating my invention, I show inFIGURE 1 thereof an electric switch, relay or the like, generallyrepresented by the reference character 10, and such element insofar asthe present disclosure is concerned could be any electrical device in anelectric circuit. Switch 10 has an electric terminal 11 securely mountedtherein or thereon in any conventional or well-known manner whichterminal projects outwardly of the switch through a suitable aperture ornotch provided in a cover 12 for the switch. Terminal 11 is connected,in a fashion to be hereinafter described, to another terminal 14 havinga wire 16 of an electric circuit or the like attached thereto forconducting electric curv rent to and/or through the switch or device 10.Both tering in the socket. Part 22' is cut away as at 26 to pro is toform an out-of-round socket or hinge pin-like receiving portion having aside entry opening on a sheet metal terminal, a portion or hingepin-like part on another sheet metal terminal, to associate theterminals with each other and to rotate one of them relativeto the otherfor wedgingly interlocking the hinge pin-like part. of the one terminalwith the socket-like or hinge pin-like receiving portion of the otherterminal so as toprovide without the aid of additional means a combinedelectric current conducting connection and strong mechanical lockintermediate the terminals.

. .ferred embodiment of the present invention is. clearly Sl1OWI1..

lnthedrawingsz f- 7 FIGURE'I is a view partly in section and partly inele- '-vation of an electric-switch, relay, junction blockor the likewith a terminal thereof connected to another terminal minals 11 and 14are preferably stamped or punched from .020 to .031 inch thick metal ofhigh electric'curlrent conductive properties. Full size of the connectedterminals is illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings and my invention isequally. applicable to larger terminals.

With reference now more particularly to the enlarged illustration inFIGURE 3, it is to be noted that the first metal terminal 11 comprises,in addition to its mounting portion, opposed spaced-apart hinge pin-likereceiving portions or out-of-round yieldable socket portions adapted toreceive in interlocking contact therewith a hinge pin-like part orsubstantially rigid rounded or arc portion of the second or otherterminal 14. The socket on hinge pin-like receiving portion of terminal11 includes a wing part 21 whichis curved or rounded about apredetermined radius throughout the greater area or contacting partthereof and has parts 22, 23 and 24 reversely bent" about smaller radiiforming a side entry openvide the spaced-apart hinge pin-like receivingportions 22 -0n terminal 11. The predetermined radius of are part 21,the smaller radii of spaced opposed parts22 and of parts 23 and 24 ofterminal 11 cooperate to provide the side entry out-of-round resilientor yieldable socket orhinge pin-like receiving portion thereom" Terminal14 includes, in addition to its wire receiving, clamping and retainingpart, a substantially rigid contacting arc portion 28 bent or curvedabout apredetermined radius and which portion is cut awayas at 29 'so asto fit bethe hinge pin-like part 28 on terminal 14- with a ,widthdimension which is greater than the maximum internal diameter or theout-of-round part or hinge pin-like receivand interlocking theseportions of ing portion or portions of terminal 11. This dimensionaldifferential causes a wedging action between part 28 and walls of thesocket formed by portions 21, 22, 23 and 24 as the terminals aremanipulated into interlocking engagement with one another to make acombined mechanical'and electric current conducting connectionintermediate the terminals according to my invention.

Having described the construction of the contacting portions ofterminals 11 and 14 the method of assembling the terminals together willnow be described in conjunction with the illustration thereof in FIGURE6 of the drawings. Terminal 14, with conductor wire 16 secured thereto,is placed or moved into cooperation with terminal '11, on switch ordevice 10, so that the part of terminal 14 between the cut-away portions29 thereof overlaps a portion of part 21 intermediate the ears or hingepin-like receiving portions 22 provided on terminal 11 by the cut-aways26. 'It is to be noted that a portion of the ears '22 on terminal 11serve as a fulcrum point for edge portion 29 of part 28 on terminal 14and that edge portion 31 of part 28 engages the bent or out-of-roundportion 24 on terminal 11. Terminal 14, in this associated orcooperative position with the side entry opening in socket or hingepinlike receiving portion of terminal ll, is now manually rotatedrelative to terminal 11 or is rotated in a clockwise direction withrespect thereto as viewed in FIGURE 6. This rotation of terminal 14 withedge part 29 and edge part 31 on portion 28 thereof bearing againstwalls 22 and 24 respectively of the yieldable socket portion of terminal11 causes a forcing apart of walls of the side entry opening of thesocket or hinge pin-like receiving portion and the substantially rigidhinge pin-like or are part 28 then springs into frictional interlockingengagement or contact with portion 21 of terminal 11 as shown in FIGURES4 and 5. As the greater dimensioned portion 28 of terminal 14- snapspast the smaller internal dimension between walls of the socket or hingepin-like receiving portion of terminal 11 into the larger dimensioned orwall part 21 thereof, the sharp edge portions 29 and 31 bite into a wallsurface of the socket. The sharp edges 29 and 31 provide detent means inthe connection intermediate terminals 11 and 14 which limit or restrictrelative rotation of the terminals after they have been locked to eachother. Wedging action of contacting portions 21 and 280i terminals 11and 14 obtained by the assembling operation described and the particularconstruction or different shapes of the interlocked together parts ofthe terminals provide tween. This connection, in addition to lockingterminals 11 and 14 to each other, also prevents sliding movement of oneterminal relative to the other in all directions away from one another.In other words terminals 11 and 14 cannot be accidentally slid in anydirection away from each other after they have been interlocked togetherand therefore a substantially permanent connection therebetween isprovided. However, should it, for any reason, become necessary toseparate terminals 11 and 14, a tool such as a screw driver or the likemay be inserted between wallsZZ and 24 of the out-of-round socket orhinge pin-like receiving portions of terminal ll and then rotated tospring or spread these resilientor yieldable walls of the side entryopening apart to thereafter permit rigid or larger dimensioned portion28 on terminal 14 to be rotated or swung out of the socket.

It should, from the foregoing, be apparent that I have provided a strongmechanical and good electric current conducting connection intermediatesheet metal terminals employed in an electric circuit leading toswitches, etc.

.of an electrical installation. This improved connection is providedbetween two terminals by the interlocking construction of the terminalsthemselves and without employment of additional clamping or holdingelements in terminals can be quickly and easily made on production astrong mechanical and effective electric current conducting connectiontherebethe joint therebetween. The connection intermediate the i linesin assembling appliances or the like and the connection or connectorstructure is one that cannot be accidentally or unintentionallyseparated. The terminals or terminal clips can be formed into theirparticular shapes in mass production and at low cost by stamping orpunching them from thin sheet metal. By providing an out-0fround socketor hinge pin like receiving portion on a first terminal, a socket insertor hinge pin-like part on a second terminal together with the relativerotation of the terminals after they are placed in cooperativeassociation with one another as herein disclosed their locking to eachother can be done by hand and the connection completed without the useof special tools.

connector is compact and the overall length throughout the terminalsthereof is greatly reduced to thereby minimize the distance ofprojection of the connection and terminals beyond a juncture block,Walls of a switch housing or relay and the like.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be under stood that other formsmight be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

l. In an electrical connector, a first stamped sheet metal terminalhaving a single wing extending therefrom and formed into a substantiallyC-shaped in cross section socket, said socket being provided with a sidewall part adjacent the main body of said terminal and an opposed freeside wall part spaced therefrom defining an entry opening for the socketin said single wing adapted to receive thercthrough a thin portion of asecond stamped sheet metal terminal, said thin portion of the secondterminal having edges spaced apart a greater distance than the normaldimension intermediate said opposed side Wall parts of the socketopening, one of said socket side wall parts being yieldable, said freeside wall part of the socket opening serving as a fulcrum point on saidsingle wing extension of the first terminal for said second terminalwhen the terminals are brought into cooperation With one another, one ofsaid terminals being rotatable relative to the other terminal while theyare in said cooperation for causing said portion of the second terminalto force said free side wall part on the single Wing extension of thefirst terminal away from the other side wall partthereon and to springsaid portion of said second terminal into the socket, and said side wallparts on said single wing extension thereafter and without the aid ofadditional means wedging said edges of the thin portion of said secondterminal into tight conductive contact with wall surfaces of said socketto thereby lock the terminals together.

2. In an electrical connector, a first stamped sheet metal terminalhaving a single wing extending therefrom and formed into a substantiallyC-shaped in cross section socket, said socket being provided with a sidewall part adjacent the main body of said terminal and an opposed freeside wall part spaced therefrom defining an entry opening for the socketin said single wing adapted to re ceive therethrough a portion of asecond stamped sheet metal terminal, said second terminal beingsubstantially T-shaped and having a wire secured to the stem thereof,the tab portion of said T-shaped second terminal being thin and providedwith sharp edges spaced apart a greater distance than the normaldimension intermediate said opposed side wallparts of the socket openingof said first terminal, one of said socket side wall partsbeingyieldable, said free side wall part of the socket opening serving as afulcrum point on said single wing extension of the first terminal whenthe terminals are brought into cooperation with one another, one of saidterminals being rotatable relative to the other terminal while they arein said cooperation for causing said tab portion of the sec-v,

end terminal to force said free side wall part on the singlewingextension of the first terminal awayrfrom the other I My improvedelectrical References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS Buell May 3, 1892 Hearne Nov. 15, 1932 Lawson et a1 Nov. 30,1937 Cleveland Apr. 19, 1938 Hewel June 16, 1942

